What it’s like being a student at the University of Waterloo: Arts Faculty

Hagey Hall — University of Waterloo

The University of Waterloo is one of the most well-known respected Universities in Canada. It has a diverse range of programs as well as many resources available to students to use and further develop their learning. Many extracurricular activities so that students are not just buried in Academic work, but can also find more hobbies and make new friends. So far, it's like every other University.

The University’s true reputation lies in the Engineering and Math faculty. This is the reason that people apply to the University and every time I tell someone that I go to the University of Waterloo, the next follow up question is “Oh Engineering?”. Don’t get me wrong, the school’s engineering program is amazing, with a multitude of options and students who really work hard and it deserves its reputation. However, being an Art Student at this school… It is nothing to brag about.

I am a student at the University of Waterloo who just finished his second year in the Global Business & Digital Arts Program (more commonly known as GBDA) and who just recently switched into Legal Studies. My program is more of a unique kind, but I found that I got to experience what it's like to be a student in the Art faculty.

To describe what its like to be an Art student here, we are going to break it down from the academic standpoint and the social standpoint.

Academic: The great thing about being an Art student was the fact that we have space in our schedules for electives. In my first year, I had two electives in each term (total of four in the first year) where I took subjects such as Legal Studies and Sociology. I believe that when going into University, enter a program that is broad and allows you to explore what you want. Many people in University find that they are more interested in something else or find out that the program that they have entered is not right for them. Fortunately for me, I found that my current program (Global Business & Digital Arts) was not the right one for me and I had the opportunity to switch.

When it comes to the Art faculty itself and what they do for the students, it's nothing special. They host De-Stress events during exam seasons as well as have other events on campus, aid students and…